Since Harvey Hancock joined the Gorsley-based Ross Golf Club in 2015, when his handicap was 6 and his home course, the Hereford-based Belmont Abbey Golf Club closed down, Harvey’s performances in the Ross Club’s Spring and Autumn scratch medal competitions have been quite amazing.

Although currently playing with a +0.6 handicap, Harvey has been away from the game injured since September 2021 shortly after his gross 71 medal round which included 13 pars and 3 birdies won him the Autumn Scratch event when he was 4 shots clear of his nearest rivals. Coming into the 2022 high profile Spring Scratch Medal event therefore and having only played a handful of times, Harvey’s expectations were not high. Yet somehow on the day, inspired by capturing 4 birdies in playing his front 9 holes, Harvey engineered a gross 75 medal round to win again with 127 players taking part. Harvey can currently reflect on a playing record to date in these honours board Spring/Autumn Scratch medal events of having won 4, finished runner-up 3 times and in 3rd place twice.

15-year-old Leo Powell, an outstanding product of the Club’s Junior Academy and now a 3 handicapper and enjoying a fine season was unfortunate to find Harvey in such effective form and Leo’s gross 76 score made him the day’s runner-up. 4 handicapper Jason Bolton, who also has a good record in the Club’s Scratch medal events also carded a gross 76 score but just missed out on 2nd place on count-back. They were followed by Paul Meek, Simon Mills and Ross Jenkins with gross 77s , Mike Burris with 78 and Jonny Walker and Peter Walker with 80s.

In the handicap section, Zach Lawrence with a net 64 score not only won him top spot but represented his second major success in a few days after his 47-points score won him the Club’s May Stableford competition in which 93 members took part. In the Spring handicap Zach was 4 clear of the net 68s carded by Jake Wild, David Bridges, Richard Tullett and Kingsley Matthews followed by net 70s by Peter James, Angus McIntosh and Antony Graham and a net 71 by Simon Buck.